Foldable-parachute toy



C. U. TYRRELL.

FOLDABLE FABAGHUIE "TOY.

Arrucmon run an 22. m9.

1 ,359,207. Patented N0v. 16, 1920..

ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLAUDE U. IYRRELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

FOLDABLE-PARACHUTE TOY.

Application filed May 22, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLAUDE U. TYRRELL, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in FoldableParm chuteToys, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

This invention relates to innn-oveinents in foldable parachute toys, theflexibility of which has heretofore been so great that for theiroperation they must be carried to and dropped from a pre-determinedheight.

The object of my invention, broadly stated, is to provide a fold-ableparachute toy adapted, while in its folded condition, to be projectedfrom the ground upwardly into the air and thereby opened by theresistance of the air quickly following the expenditure of the forcepropelling it upwardly.

More specifically stated, the object of my invention is to provide afoldable parachute with a stiffening means adapted to be manuallyforcibly projected from the round upwardly in the air and to open itindependently of air pressure immediately following the expenditure ofthe force for its propulsion into the air.

A further object of my invention is a foldable toy parachute soconnected with a propelling means therefor that the force for itspropulsion upwardly in the air is directed throughout the length of itsfolds and whereby the propelling force is utilized to its fullestextent.

With these ends in view my invention finds embodiment in certainfeatures of novelty in the construction, combination, arrangement ofparts by which the said objects and certain other objects are attained,all as hereinafter fully described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 illustrates an inside elevation partly in section of a foldableparachute toy in which my invention finds its embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the parachute in its folded position forforcibly projecting it upwardly into the air.

Fig, 3 is a detached view of one of the stiffening means therefor.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the coil Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

Serial No. 298,860.

sprin for releasing the parachute from its folde and locked position.

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of the weighted body or block to which thestiffening means is secured, and

Fig. 6 is a side elevation partly in section of said block.

Similar characters of reference indicate the same parts in the severalfigures of the drawings.

The hood member 7 of the parachute may be of any material suitable forits purpose, such for example as woven fabric of cotton or silk, andpreferably the latter, but may be of bladder or thin sheet rubbercircular in form or of any other form by which it will assume the shapeof an um brella when exposed to currents of air directed against itsunder side.

Secured at intervals of each other are the ends of cords 8 passingthrough eyes 9 in flexible metallic rods or wires 10, and of which theremay be as many as there are cords 8, but as shown in the drawings thereare but three equally distant apart at their upper ends, whichstiffening wires or rods are curved inwardly and converge until theirends 11 are brought and are preferably soldered together, and areadapted to be projected into an axial socket 12 in a block 13.

The block 13 has the form of an arrow head provided at one side of itsstem 14 adjacent the base of the arrow-head niember with an upwardlyinclined slot laadapted to be engaged by a ring 16 secured to the top ofthe parachute hood member when the parachute is folded. as shown inFig.2, and when the flexible stiffening wires were brought close together,and the corners and cords of the hood member of the parachute are in aposition depending below these wires as indicated in Fig. 2.

The stem 14 of the block has the form of a hollow cylinder for inclosinga coil spring 17 surrounding the stiffening wires 10, one end 18 ofwhich spring is fixed to the stem by projecting it through a perforation19 adjacent the outer end of the stem. the 0pposite end of the springbeing seated against the base 20. The function of the sprin 17 is toautomatically release the ring 16 rom the slot 15.

As soon as the force. for propelling the parachute upwardly into the airand the frictional resistance against the air of the hood member of theparachute maintaining the ring in the slot, becomes less than that ofthe force 01' the spring, then the spring automatically operates to pushthe ring out and free and clear of the slot, and whereupon thestilfening wires 10 will automatically separate to the position shown inFig. 1, and the block, by reason of its greater weight, will therebyreverse its position and descend by grayity.

As a means for projectin" the parachute upwardly through the air, t ebloek is provided in its side opposite the slot 15 with a notch 21. thedirection of which is reversed with reference to the slot 15, the grooveor notch 21 being adapted to be engaged by a ring 22 secured to a rubberstrap 23, which is adapted to produce the force for the propulsion ofthe parachute. I

In operation, the parachute, in the folded position shown in Fig. 2, isso held by clasp ir'igit ,top ard its lower end, for eztample w th th"eft hand, then taking hold oi. the freeien ofth e rubber sti ap with theright hand, and then pulling with the left hand away from the right handuntil the rubber strap is fully stretched, followed by releasing thearachute from the left hand. By means 0 the force so applied, theparachute may be propelled upwardly through the air to a COIlSldGI'flbledistance limited only to the stifiness of the rubber strap and thestrength of the operator.

In this connection it should be said that it has been found in practicethat a child of six or seven years or upward is able to project theaeroplane to a height of fronr 100 to 200 or more feet, and that theparachute will alwa s fully open out almost at the instant it begins itsdescent, and as soon as its body ortion is reversed and thearrow headbegins its descent.

In operation the pai'achu't is folded against the resistance of the tifishing, ires and t e mug is engfged with the fidtci tin the b ock-ormew; head as maybe, .The

ring,- following its engagement with the to open concurrently with thecmnmcnce nient of the downward movement of the block.

Having thus described. my lllYUIllllOl]. what I claim. and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is: 4

1. A foldable parachute toy comprising a foldable hood member providedwith a ring secured to the fold-able member, a block ses pended fromsaid. foldable member and hm ing a notch therein adapted to be engagedby said. ring, and a spring adapted for dis connecting the ring from thenotch after thpropellin force is overcome by the air.

2. A to dable parachute to comprising a hood member, a ring secured tothe top of said member, a block suspended from the foldable' member andhaving a notch therein adapted to be engaged by the ring, and a springinclosed by said block adapted to autotriatlcally disconnect the ringfrom the notch at substantially the limit of the upward movement of theparachute.

3. A foldable parachute toy comprising a fabric hood member, fibrouscords attached thereto, a block member, flexible wires normally stra' htrigidly secured to said block and conne cied at their opposite end withsaid cords whereby when said. hood is dis tended, said wires are curvedoutwardly from the block by the force of the pressure of air distendingthe hood substantially as and for. the purposes described.

In witness w e'reo'f, I have hereunto set III 'haiidah' a see my seal,this 20th day 6 May A, 1919; y

CL UDE' U. TYRRELL'. [Ls] Witnesses Manta Ritz,

JNtiQ G. Emma.

